Punjab CM suggests training tour abroad for teachers, seeks ideas for educational reforms

LUDHIANA: On Tuesday, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann held a meeting with the government school principals to seek input from them to raise the bar of school education. According to him, the Punjab government has decided to send its government school teachers to Delhi, other states, countries such as Singapore, Switzerland, Finland, and institutes such as Harvard and Oxford at government expense to observe and learn the best teaching practices.

“To take our education to the next level our teachers will be sent on educational tours to Delhi schools and even abroad for education training in batches to countries like Singapore, Switzerland, Finland and institutes like Harvard and Oxford on government expenses,” he said.

ਪੰਜਾਬ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਕ੍ਰਾਂਤੀ ਲਿਆਉਣ ਲਈ ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਚਨਬੱਧ ਹੈ। ਸੂਬੇ ਦੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਕੂਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਅਫ਼ਸਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਮੁਲਾਕਾਤ ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਤੋਂ LIVE
https://t.co/2qNf4nhMp6

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) May 10, 2022

The chief minister also launched an online portal to seek ideas and suggestions from teachers for bringing “out of the box” educational reforms. He said teachers should send ideas online through this portal to help change the conventional system of education and make it paperless, digitally empowered etc, according to an official release.

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The chief minister said the people had lost faith in the present government education system. Mann said there is no doubt about the humongous capabilities of government teachers, but it was needed to rebuild people's trust in the government education system, which could only be achieved with the people's wholehearted support.

“At the same time, we also need to boost the confidence of students to make them job providers from job seekers,” he said. Mann said that his government would provide fulsome support to the teachers for making the current education system viable, and more relevant according to the day to day life.

The CM said his government was committed to stopping the “brain drain” by bringing back industry in the state to provide jobs to the youths. Therefore, special emphasis would be laid on imparting quality technical education instead of focusing on securing a high percentage, he said.

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Highlighting the achievements of the Kejriwal government in the education sector in Delhi, Mann said over four lakh students have shifted from private schools to government schools. He said every year 450 students from Delhi get admission to prestigious institutions like the IIT, and the Delhi government has built 10,000 rooms in government schools. He said that the Delhi model of education would be implemented in Punjab. Mann also assured the teachers that on the lines of the Delhi government, the Punjab government would not impose teachers with any other work except that of teaching.